But, with the vintage Topps Turkey design, I think that I would have preferred he be hitting. For me, this style of card is better suited for a player holding a bat in a posed position rather than in an action, defensive spot.

Still, another nice card for my collection. I really like the attention to detail on this card, from the shoe brand to the lacing on Boggs’ glove – VERY NICELY DONE!!!

I don’t have a lot of cards from these SSPC baseball card sets, but the ones that I have been able to grab are pretty neat. And perfect for my most favorite player collections, too.

This card of Reggie Jackson comes courtesy of the 1976 SSPC set.

Take a look:

These cards are very basic in nature offering no graphic elements on the front while also missing team names, player names, player positions, and brand logo. Instead, the card showcases a large image.

These cards remind of a the more current Topps Glossy All-Star Send-In cards. But since those did not debut until the mid-80’s, I will say that this is one of the earlier ‘blank’ front cards that I know of…

Notes From His 1975 Season: Jay Johnstone played in 122 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1975. He connected for 115 hits in 350 at-bats en route to a .329 batting average. Of his 115 hits, Johnstone connected for 19 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, and 86 singles. He also scored 50 runs for the team while driving in 54.

Notes From Career: Jay Johnstone played for eight different major league clubs during his 20-season big league career. He is a lifetime .267 hitter with 1,254 hits in 1,748 games played. Johnstone has 215 doubles, 38 triples, and 102 home runs on his resume. He is a member of two World Series championship squads – the 1978 New York Yankees and the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers.

I’m always digging the cards of Wade Boggs from his early Red Sox years that feature him playing defense.

And this one from the 1988 Topps Glossy All-Star Send-In set is a beauty!

While Boggs was known for his hitting prowess, he was a sharp defender of the ‘hot corner’. He has a lifetime fielding percentage of .962 at third base, and while that is not a record-setting number, it is fantastic for a player that is solely known for his offensive punch.